Wastewater Treatment
Similar to other municipalities, the Town realized that past practice of discharging raw sewage is no longer acceptable. The solution, a new treatment plant and conveyance system, is the right thing to do environmentally but comes at significant financial cost.
The new plant, which is being constructed just east of highway 106 near the northern end of the causeway, will accept wastewater from almost all Town properties. The plant will also accept wastewater from County residences and businesses being serviced by a new collector line between the Town boundary and community of Loch Broom. The Town has been fortunate to receive approval for $6 million in cost sharing from the Federal and Provincial governments (not including the funding received by the County for their conveyance line). The net municipal share of the treatment plant, both capital and annual operating costs, is being shared between the Town and Municipality of the County of Pictou. This partnership approach will benefit both municipal units and their respective citizens.
The plant utilizes biological processing, ultraviolet disinfection, and other "green" technology (no chemical additions) for treatment. Similar plants utilizing this technology are in operation elsewhere in the province with very positive results.
The Town's new forcemain (pressurized sewer line) will be completed by this summer following the former CNR line and Jitney Trail between the Shipyard area and the new treatment plant. The line will serve as a header in which existing sewer lines running towards the harbour will be connected.
The Town's net share of the associated $9.1 million capital cost will total approximately $2.4 million. This net share will be financed and repaid over a period of years. The annual cost of operations and capital debt repayment will have a significant impact on Town finances.
SEPTEMBER 2010 - The Town is currently examining a two staged project to achieve water quality and quantity improvements. Design work continues on the water system. Recently Council received a "Pre-Design Report" from CBCL Consulting Engineers. This draft report outlines:
- Design requirements relative to the Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines;
- Site Selection for a centralized treatment plant
- Analysis of blended water quality
- Review and selection of appropriate water treatment technology
- Process design requirement recommendations
- Facility requirements; and
JUNE 2010 -The Town currently withdraws water from 12 wells located in various areas throughout town. Although the water quality is generally good, it contains significant amounts of iron and manganese. The primary element in water treatment is disinfection. The Town is required to disinfect through the addition of chlorine. Iron and manganese is known to react with chlorine and cause water discoloration. In recent years, Nova Scotia Environment has increased the regulatory requirement for chlorination. This has, in turn, increased the incidence of discoloured water.
The solution is to:
1. replace wells high in iron and manganese with new wells located in a single area of town;
2. connect wells together with a common transmission line; and
3. connect the common transmission line to a single new centralized treatment facility (build one plant instead of 12).
Current progress includes:
1. one new well has been drilled and is currently in the testing stage;
2. design of the transmission line; and
3. determination of an appropriate site and technology for treatment.
There will be some improvement to water quality following the completion of the transmission line this spring, however, issues are not expected to be completely resolved until after the centralized treatment facility comes online in early 2012.
Currently both sewage and storm water enters one pipe from buildings and street runoff. The material collected is screened near the waterfront and eventually discharged into the harbour. The new wastewater treatment plant will introduce secondary treatment and dramatically change current practice. From environmental and cost perspectives, there will be a requirement to avoid the unnecessary treatment of storm water. The treatment plant is intended to treat sanitary sewage, not storm water. To reduce the amount of storm water reaching the new plant, the Town will need to install a separate storm water system. Recent construction on Church and Prince Streets represents the start of this work. The line being installed over the next two construction seasons will serve as the main header to which certain uphill streets will eventually be connected. The separated storm water will be collected along the shoulders of streets and diverted to catch basins. The collected water will eventually connect to the Church Street line and empty in Pictou Harbour. The Town expects that management of storm water will become a regulated requirement imposed by either the federal and/or provincial environment departments. Representatives from senior levels of government are presently consulting with municipal units and others about this topic. The Town realizes this is a very expensive process and can only proceed as money is provided from other levels of government. Given the unnecessary cost of pumping and treating storm water, and the limited available funding, the Town has a phased plan to separate storm and sanitary systems.
